Honda and Khanna clash on future of Silicon Valley in only pre-primary meet

In their first, and only, formal face-to-face encounter in one of the nation’s most high profile House races, Democrats Ro Khanna and 7-term Rep. Mike Honda agreed Friday on most key issues — but clashed on whether it’s time for political change in the innovation capital of Silicon Valley.

For Honda, 72, the League of Women Voters forum at Fremont City Hall Friday was his chance to remind voters of his more than three decades in public service as a public school teacher, administrator, member of the county Board of Supervisors, and Assemblyman, followed by 14 years in Congress. And saying that he has, throughout, aimed to give a “voice to the voiceless,” he also noted his history as a child in a World War II internment camp for Japanese-Americans.

Honda repeatedly underscored what he said was a record of results “for everybody, not just a few,” from $900 million in funding for BART to San Jose to his ability to lobby the President on issues like immigration reform.

“I met with him yesterday, and we sat down and strategized..what else can we do,” he told the packed house in a refernece to Obama.

But Khanna, 37, a former Obama trade representative, framed the discussion on the future, talking up his detailed plans for jobs, noting his own pledges to reject corporate and PAC money in his campaign, and calling for tech-related “21st Century” educational reforms like teaching computer coding in the classroom.

He, too, resorted to name-dropping, noting that he’s conferred with star tech supporters like Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO, and Marissa Mayer, the CEO of Yahoo — he said to develop policies that will bring women pay equity and encourage more girls into top positons in Silicon Valley, where only 1 in 7 engineers is a woman.

Even as he launded the Congressman’s service, Khanna pointedly framed him as a member of the old guard tied to a damaged institution in which “people have lost faith.”

“Members of Congress shouldn’t take gold-plated pensions and health care that isn’t available to other Americans,” Khanna said. “We need new ideas and new energy to move this nation forward..to help bring change to Washington, and to help resore its founding ideas.”

Khanna and Honda shared the stage with Republican candidate Joel Vanlandingham, a Silcion Valley executive recruiter who defined himself as “not a professional politician.” Ignoring the forum’s call for refraining from attacks, he happily pounded both Democrats on issues like campaign fundraising. Unlike the two Democrats, whom he said have raised millions, “I don’t want a dime of your money,” Vanlandingham told the crowd. “Send it to charity.”

With his fellow Republican Vanila Singh, a Stanford doctor, a no-show who refused to participate in the event, Vanlandingham had free reign to provide a contrast to the warring Democrats — and often, the night’s best political theatre.

The exchanges between the three took place before a packed house of about 300 which also attracted raucous crowds of competing — and passionately vocal — supporters in the streets outside.
Here’s a look from our SFChronicle/SFGate.com Shaky Hand Productions cam:

All three candidates were in agreement in their opposition to fracking, offshore oil drilling and a carbon tax, and they agreed on the need for policies to immediately address climate change.

Vanlandingham forcefully disagreed with both Honda and Khanna for saying they are satisfied with the current level of H1B visas — he supports an increase and said that he that he is strongly pro-life — making him the only candidate in the CD-17 race to take such a position.

Though there were no major gaffes, there were some missed opportunities, especially for Honda.

Asked his position about the water bill by Senator Dianne Feinstein — which aims to pressure state and federal water agencies to provide maximum pumping provide relief to San Joaquin Valley farms — Honda said there were “three areas to be concerned about,” recyling, reuse and storage, and noted his own involvement in the Bay Delta Water Quality Act. But he didn’t answer the question.

Khanna dismissed Senator Dianne Feinstein’s legislation as “a bad bill,” and a sop to agriculture, and jabbed at Honda, saying “if I were in Congress, I would speak out about that,” especially since the 17th Congressional district relies so heavily on Delta water.

On NSA security, Honda scored by saying Congress “has a responsibility to make sure that we know the line between national security and privacy..and that’s the thing I’ve worked for, ever since my earliest memories in an internment camp.”

Khanna countered that Honda, while in Congress, “hasn’t exercised oversight over the NSA.. ..and in this district, we need someone to speak out very clearly.”

After Honda was asked how he would handle the federal role in education, and cited the post office as an example of an institution which gets government fiscal support, the Republican pounced.

“The last thing we need is the federal government coming in and stomping all over (the education system), and turning it into the post office,” Vanlandingham groaned.

Asked to relate a program of which they were most proud, Honda offered the potentially tricky example of having to close 15 schools in one year as a school board member, and working with local officials to try to minimize the damage.

Khanna recalled his stint at the Department of Commerce, where he said that he worked with United Auto Workers during the closure of the Nummi plant.

Vanlandingham said that he was “a devout man of faith” who hadn’t done anything major with schools or auto plants. But he said that, with his family, he keeps bags of clothing, food and Bibles in his car and distributes them “when we see somebody in need” on the street.
“If you want to know me, that’s who I am,” he said.

Honda’s appearance at the event came after the Congressman refused to partcipate in a televised debate, sponsored by the Chronicle, KCBS and KPIX. After Friday’s forum — which allowed for no questions between candidates, and no exchanges — the Congressman was pressed by reporters about whether he would debate his opponents in the November general election.

“That makes sense, because it would be one on one,” Honda said. “I expect to do that.”